85 reviews for:

The Torrent

Dinuka McKenzie

3.84 AVERAGE

katiejane's review against another edition

3.0

Listened to the audiobook. An easy and enjoyable read/listen. Glad intersectional feminism has hit Australian crime writing. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I would have liked a few laughs thrown in here and there.

mojotbr's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

kathleenes's review

3.0

I started this one because I had previously bought the second in this series in a sale of audiobooks and thought I had better start with the first book instead. 
It was ok. It didn’t grip me as much as I would like in a mystery, but I still finished it so it wasn’t bad. 

kiarawilliams5's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

veronica_strachan's review against another edition

5.0

Hard to believe this is McKenzie's debut novel. This Aussie crime story is great. I listened to the audio book and had trouble pressing pause. The main character, Kate was instantly relatable, the story believeable, and the flawed humanity of the characters spot on. Throw in some slick twists and drama and you have a clever read. The small regional town flowed effortlessly into my mind from McKenzie's sparse and sensitive descriptions and I felt every twinge and ache of Kate's 8 month pregnant body as she continued to do her job effectively, but with more care and compassion than is shown to her.
A great read.

ljm57's review against another edition

4.0

Aussie crime story which refreshingly isn’t set in the dry, parched outback but in the northern rivers region of NSW. I enjoyed the characters in this, especially the lead investigator, Detective Sergeant Kate Miles, who also breaks the mould of the typical cop stereotype in that she has a happy, loving family life. Although, she does have enough background to make her an interesting character - she is deep into her third trimester of pregnancy and is about to finish up to take maternity leave; she is of mixed race, father Australian, mother Sri Lankan; of course, she’s a woman in a man’s world; and, her father was the previous chief inspector in her town and he has a few shadowy secrets in his past. The last case in her final week at work involves finding the culprits in a violent hold-up at a fast-food restaurant which has left the daughter of a prominent local citizen severely beaten and stabbed. But then, she is handed a file about a cold case in which a popular local sportsman tragically drowned in recent floods. Asked to run her eyes over what was ruled as an accidental death in an effort to appease disgruntled relatives, Kate’s determined digging throws up a few unanswered questions. 

pen_paper_pizza's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jo_bookcase's review against another edition

4.0

Impressed by how the author juggled so many characters(different ages, background, etc.) well. The pacing was steady, and I got a thrill seeing how all the threads tied together at the end.

blanchreads's review against another edition

4.0

I love discovering new-to-me Australian authors especially if they are crime / suspense / mystery writers. I’ve became aware of the author’s latest book, The Tipping Point, while browsing IG and thru some authors that I’ve been following. Coincidentally, I joined an Australian Fiction Bookclub and the first pick is The Torrent. Immediately I borrowed all her three books and just finished the two books already!


Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is a week away from her maternity leave. She can’t wait to leave her job and concentrate on her pregnancy. But two incidents occur few months apart, a robbery at a local fast food chan and a man drowned in a few months back ruled as accident, are squeezing her time before she starts her leave. The two cases seem unconnected but Kate is determined to find out the truth behind these incidents, despite the risk on her, her baby and her family.


I’ve been reading few Australian crime fiction and enjoying them all. The story has an interesting premise. I like the small town vibe its giving. I like Kate’s character that despite experiencing patriarchy and racism in her work, the intricacies of police procedurals and the demand of her young family, she still perseveres and continues to do her job, giving it her all. Though this is a slow burn read, laying down grounds of the cases, it’s not until the send part that things start to pick up. And once it did, I can’t stop reading until the end.


Overall, a solid debut novel and looking forward to reading all her books!


leavesnpages's review against another edition

funny mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Detective Kate Miles, 36 weeks pregnant with one week to go before maternity leave, and two open cases still on her plate.

This book was a good little page-turner mystery that didn't go how I thought it would. I quite liked the characters and the diversity introduced in the book. An Aussie author too!